Surprise me
by themockingjayfromgallifrey
Summary: A short Christmas ficlet I wrote on request. Meretricious and a happy new year!


John shivered, holding out his hands to the crackling fire. It had been a freezing night out in London, so cold that even chasing Sherlock around a crime scene hadn't been enough to keep the chill away. '_The murderer could have bloody well waited until it got warmer,' _John thought reproachfully. The case hadn't even been that difficult. Within 10 minutes, Sherlock had told the police to arrest the dead man's wife and strode off of the crime scene. John glanced back at Sherlock, who seemed either unaffected or unbothered by the cold. His boyfriend pulled of his scarf and coat, tossing both heedlessly onto the couch. He then proceeded to glare loathsomely at the Christmas tree in the corner. John saw this and gave a small smile. This was the first year Mrs. Hudson had cause to put up decorations in the flat, seeing as how Sherlock's only idea of Christmas was solving a triple homicide. She had absolutely outdone herself. Tinsel was placed in every possible space, lights were strung in various locations, and of course a beautifully decorated Christmas tree was standing in the corner. The flat was an absolute mess of color. Of course, Sherlock hated it, but John knew he tolerated the stuff because it made him happy. His heart warmed a bit at the thought.

"Fancy a cuppa, Sherlock?" he asked, walking towards the kitchen. He was met only with silence. John rolled his eyes, weaving through the furniture in the living room. He almost immediately felt the loss of heat as the stepped into the kitchen, and, shivering, decided the tea could wait. Instead, John moved to one of the armchairs by the fire, glancing toward the Christmas tree.

John had gotten Sherlock a present, but it sat alone underneath the tree. When John looked at it, he felt a tiny twinge of disappointment. His smile faded a little. He hadn't really expected Sherlock to get him anything- after almost 2 years of living together and 8 months of actually dating, John knew Sherlock well enough to realize that. Still…

John shook his head slightly. It was alright. He shouldn't get upset over such a small thing- he _was_ living with the most brilliant man in London, after all. John thought of how lucky he had been to meet Sherlock. Sherlock had been his savior. His life had been in black and white when he had returned from Afghanistan. No one to save, nothing to do, just the same nothingness day after day. No one could or even tried to understand. It had slowly been killing John, and he had known it too. The day John walked into Barts with Mike was the day that changed John's life. After meeting Sherlock, what he did started to matter. He started helping people, saving lives again, and that fact in itself had probably saved his own.

John felt a sudden surge of affection for the detective, and he turned to smile at him. When John saw his face, however, he frowned.

"You alright, Sherlock?" John asked, concerned. Sherlock looked anxious, an emotion John almost never saw on Sherlock's face. He nodded. Still, John could see something was bothering him. "Are you sure?" He was a worried. Usually Sherlock was content after solving a case, at least for a short amount of time.

"I'm fine, John. Everything is fine." Sherlock picked up his violin and plucked at the strings, playing an agitated tune. He plopped down on the couch, looking at the wall.

John stood up walked over to the couch. He sat down next to Sherlock, at the same time grasping a hand to still it. Sherlock set the violin down with one hand, the other trapped firmly between two of John's.

"Sherlock," John began. "I wish I… you know that you can tell me if anything is bothering you, right?" This seemed to have almost no effect on Sherlock. If anything, he looked even more uncomfortable. John continued. "Look, Sherlock. I realize you aren't always the happiest person in London-" Sherlock snorted, mumbling something that sounded like _understatement_.

"_But_," John continued. "I love you anyway. I love everything about you, because its what makes you Sherlock. Even the bouts of sulking. Sherlock, I love you, and I don't want you to be agitated around me, _especially_ not on Christmas Eve. Could you just tell me whats wrong so we can make tea and watch some bad telly?"

There was a pause. Sherlock looked at his lap.

"Exactly." Sherlock mumbled to himself. "That's exactly why. That's _exactly _why I'm going to do it."

"Do what, Sherlock?" John was confused. It wasn't like Sherlock to be passive or quiet about _anything_.

Sherlock didn't answer him. Instead, he reached into his coat pocket.

"I was going to save this for tomorrow, but…" He fished out a small package wrapped in newspaper and held it out to John, before flashing him an uncertain smile. John stared a moment before taking it. He felt a grin spreading across his face. "Sherlock, I… thank you? I really thought you weren't going to get me anything."

Sherlock frowned, still looking anxious. "Why not? Is it not traditional to get a gift for someone you care for? Just because I don't-" John cut him off with a kiss, grinning against his lips. It was slow and lasted only a few seconds, but when he pulled away Sherlock had relaxed. "Thank you, Sherlock," John said. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I'm going to love it." Sherlock nodded.

John held the present for a second, looking it over. It was small- smaller than his fist- and shaped roughly like a cube. It didn't make any noise when John shook it, but Sherlock smiled a bit. Today's newspaper covered the present, which John thought was very typically Sherlock. He ripped it off, heedlessly throwing it on the floor. John stared uncomprehendingly at the velvety box in his hands. What was this?

He turned it over in his hands and saw- no. Was it… was this what he thought it was? He looked at Sherlock in shock, and the detective took the box from him, kneeling.

"John Hamish Watson," Sherlock said, grinning. He opened the box, exposing the glint of a golden ring. "Will you marry me?"

* * *

Special thanks to RainyDays-and-DayDreams, RitaxXxSkeeter, and Lemonlime09 for their reviews! Love to all my readers!


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